02 December, 2012

My Christmas Cake recipe

No, this blog isn't turning into Wendy's baking blog. But I'm still feeing under the weather (actually probably worse than on Friday), and someone's just handed me an easy topic for another blog post (thanks Sarah).

I put our Christmas Cake in the oven after lunch. Australian Christmas Cakes are pretty traditional British style. I cook one every year. Aside from chocolate-themed sweets, it is one thing that I can be guaranteed that everyone in our family likes. Actually my husband practically salivates when I mention it. I could bake one every month!

Unfortunately a main ingredient is "mixed fruit" and that isn't something you buy here. So I always bring some back from Australia with me or get someone to post some so I can make my Christmas Cake.

This recipe also came from my mum. I forget where she got it from, but it's worked every year for me and it is nicely simple.

500g butter
500g white sugar
10 eggs
750g plain flour
Parisian essence (makes the cake dark, but I don't have any and the cake works out fine without it)

1. Add the orange juice to the dried fruit and spices. Leave to soak overnight in a sealed container.
2. Prepare tin. Line with at least two layers of baking paper, base and sides.
3. Heat oven to 150 degrees C.
4. Cream the butter and sugar.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between eggs.
6. Add parisian essence if you're using it.
7. Add dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
8. Add fruit mixture (you might need a wooden spoon by now, especially if you're using a Japanese hand held mixer).
9. Place in the tin and stab through with a knife. Flatten the top with a hand dampened in cold water (this gives it a nice finish).
10. Cook for 45 minutes at 150 degrees, then reduce heat to 120 degrees for approximately five hours.
11. When it is cooked remove it and cover with a towel, leaving to cool in tin.

I almost always cut the size of this in half (only because it is hard to get mixed fruit, not because we couldn't eat it all). In a small Japanese oven (microwave sized) I used to cook it for 1.5 hrs at 150 degrees and then 1.5 hrs at 120 degrees. Basically you just have to keep testing it the first time you cook it in a new oven. When a skewer comes out clean, it is cooked.

I'll leave you to it. I'm just going to check if mine's done yet. Enjoy!

4 comments:

One of the ladies at church brought in a (Christmas) fruit cake for morning tea today. It was DIVINE - yet had NO sugar, NO dairy, and NO gluten!!! Definitely need to get the recipe for that one - might have to print it in Footprints I think!

My mum used to make a boiled fruit cake. I think it was similar except for simmering the fruit for half an hour(?) instead of soaking it overnight. I should have asked for her recipe before she died. I wonder if it's in either of the recipe books she made for churches.

Heat together in a saucepan ,water,fruit,sugar and butter, bring to the boil then simmer for 5 mins. Allow to cool then add a beaten egg. Lastly add the flours mixed with the Bicarb. put into a greased 20 cm cake tin and bake for to 1 1/2 hours until skewer comes out dry from mixture. Allow to cool in tin.

Heat together in a saucepan ,water,fruit,sugar and butter, bring to the boil then simmer for 5 mins. Allow to cool then add a beaten egg. Lastly add the flours mixed with the Bicarb. put into a greased 20 cm cake tin and bake for to 1 1/2 hours until skewer comes out dry from mixture. Allow to cool in tin.

The tIme now in Tokyo, Japan

About Me

Tokyo, Japan

I'm an Aussie with three boys who's lived in Japan for most of the last 16 years. My husband, David, teaches at an American international school – Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) in Tokyo. I edit a magazine, manage a blog for OMF Japan, and write freelance articles among many other things. Another label some give us is missionaries. Combine all of this and I find heaps to write about.
I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me here: wendy.marshall04 at gmail.com